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Silverbacks score 7 at home to win over Smoke Eaters, El-Mir’s first.

The Silverbacks and Smoke Eaters played the back half of a home-and-home series last night (Friday) at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm. The Smoke Eaters tied the season series with a 4-1 win in Trail on Wednesday, and the Silverbacks were looking to take the lead back and win their second consecutive home game.

The Smoke Eaters opened the scoring for the second consecutive game versus the Silverbacks as Charlie Zuccarini jumped on his own rebound in front of Backs starting netminder Zach Dyment at 8:56 of the first period for Zuccarini’s ninth of the season from Jake Lucchini. The Backs responded just 18 seconds later, as Shane Danyluk worked the puck into Smoke Eaters territory off of the face-off at centre and Danyluk centred it from behind the goal to Carl El-Mir in the slot who fired the puck past Trail’s starter Adam Todd to tie the game at one. Danyluk assisted on El-Mir’s first BCHL goal.

Taro Hirose then gave the home-team the lead on the power-play, as Carson Bolduc carried the puck in and passed it into the slot for Hirose who slid a low shot past Todd. Hirose’s fifth from Bolduc and Andrew Farny at 11:42, with Kienan Scott off for hooking.

Just over a minute later, Farny scored his sixth of the season, another power-play marker with Smoke Eaters captain Scott Davidson in the box for cross-checking, as Farny let a shot go from the point with sticks in front. Hirose and Colton Thibault with the assists at 12:45 as the Silverbacks took a 3-1 lead into the second period. The Backs out-shot the Smoke Eaters 14-8 in the opening period.

Trail opened the scoring 4:13 into the middle period as Bennett Morrison gave the puck away in the slot and onto the stick of former Silverback Connor Brown-Maloski who fired the puck past Dyment for his second of the season, and the Backs lead was cut to 3-2.

But just 38 seconds later, Danyluk restored the two-goal lead as he back-handed the puck up and over Todd, with Thibault and Phillip Middleton assisting on the goal at 4:51. And seconds later, 16-year-old Silverbacks AP defenseman Alex Astasiewicz of Salmon Arm skated into Smoke Eaters territory and had a wraparound opportunity from behind Todd but was kept out.

The Silverbacks went ahead 5-2 at 10:04 of the second period, as Astasiewicz pushed the puck along the boards through the neutral zone to Josh Blanchard who skated in and put a shot on goal and Bryden Marsh found the rebound for his fourth of the season from Blanchard and Astasiewicz’s second assist in his second consecutive game with the Silverbacks.

Hirose finished off the second period scoring with one of the prettiest Silverbacks goals of the season, at 18:27 Hirose brought the puck in toward the net and slowed the play down by turning into Smoke Eaters defenseman Sheldon Hubbard before spinning around and firing a shot glove side past Todd. Hirose’s second of the game and sixth of the season from Middleton, as the Backs lead 6-2 after 40 minutes. But the Smoke Eaters out-shot the Silverbacks 15-11 in the second period.

The Silverbacks got into penalty trouble in the third frame, as Middleton went off for slashing at 6:20 and Blanchard for tripping at 7:18 giving the Smoke Eaters their fourth and fifth power-play’s and a 5-on-3 for 1:02. Harlan Orr potted his third of the season with the two man-advantage at the side of the net, from Viktor Dombroskiy and Bryan Basilico at 8:25.

Trail scored it’s second consecutive goal in the third period at 12:23, as Kienan Scott chased down the puck in Backs territory and fired it low between the pads of Dyment to cut the lead to 6-4. Rob Johnson with the assist on Scott’s second of the season.

Carson Bolduc put the game away for the home team with his sixth, an empty netter from centre ice at 18:18, from Hirose as the Silverbacks won 7-4 at home over the Smoke Eaters.

Silverbacks Assistant Coach Misko Antisin with his thought’s on their second consecutive home-ice victory.

Hirose with more on the game and his highlight reel goal.

Trail out-shot the Backs 12-10 in the third period, and each team had 35 shots overall. Zach Dyment made 30 saves, with his best of the night a big glove stop for his second win of the season. The Silverbacks finished two-for-two on the power-play, while the Smoke Eaters were one-for-five.

The Backs are now 6-5-0-2 with 14 points in 13 games and will finish their weekend tomorrow afternoon (Sunday), at home to the Penticton Vees at 3p.m. at the Shaw Centre. The Interior Division leading Vees had Friday off and host the Vernon Vipers tonight, Penticton has won eight straight and is 11-1-0-0.